Fifth-wheel



(No Model.)

0 ATWOOD Fifth Wheel. No. 238,630. Patented March 8, I881.

f lllllllilllllll N. PETERS. FNQTO-LITMOGRAPHER WASHl UNHED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARRALL ATVOOD, OF LEBANON, ILLINOIS.

Fl FTH-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,630, dated March 8, 1881.

Application filed January 18, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OARRALL ATWOoD, of Lebanon, in the county of St. Clair and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fifth-Wheels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in fifth-wheels for vehicles; and my invention consists in a circular disk or plate, which is secured to the axle, which has an upturned flange on its periphery, and which supports an inverted cup-shaped disk, to which the spring and perch are attached.

My invention also consists in the means of attaching the fifth-wheel to the axle.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an under perspective view of my invention, showing the means for attaching it to the axle. Fig. 2 is a top view of my invention. Fig. 3 is a section at .v a, Fig. 2.

A is a circular disk, with ribs to a cast on its under side, which forms a groove, (1, for receiving the axle of a vehicle.

13 are projections, of which there are four or more. 1 have shown six cast on the under side of the plate or disk A, whose faces are parallel, or nearly so, with the faces of the ribs to. In the faces of the projections are grooves b, to receive the upper ends of bolts by which the fifth-wheel is attached to the axle, the lower ends ofthe bolts being connected together beneath the axle by the usual connecting-plate. The heads of the bolts fit in enlargements I) of the grooves 1). Thus it will be seen that when the plate or disk A is placed upon the axle the upper ends of the bolts will be firmly held in place.

(No model.)

The periphery of the disk has an upturned flange, (J, to which are secured lugs c.

D is acup-shaped disk or plate, which rests, in an inverl ed position, upon the disk A within its upturned flange G. ()n the top of the disk D are ribs (l, for receiving the front spring of a vehicle, and ribs (1, for receiving the perch. This disk D is secured vertically in place to the spring and perch by bolts passing through bolt-holes (P. The outturned riin D of the disk D rests, as before stated, within the upturned flange G of the disk A, and the portion of the disk A which forms the bearing-surface for the disk D is preferably slightly raised from the face of the disk, as shown in Fig. 3.

E is a flat ring having lugs or projections e, which preferably correspond in number to the lugs c on the disk A. The ring E fits snugly over the outturned rim D of the disk D, and is secured to the disk A by small bolts passing through its lugs and through the lugs c. It will thus be seen that the disk D will be firmly held to that A and will turn freely thereon.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the circular disk A, secured to the axle of a vehicle, cup-shaped disk D, secured to the spring and perch, and connecting-ring E, all made substantially as set forth.

2. The fifth-wheel A D E, secured to the axle of a vehicle by bolts whose upper ends are secured in projections B on the under side of the fifth-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GARRALL ATWOOD.

Witnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, Geo. H. KNIGHT. 

